Matt Gaetz, a former MAGA lawmaker and ally of President Donald Trump, was stunned on Tuesday after learning who had been selected as the new Supreme Leader in Iran.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts as the country’s next leader. Khamenei has been described by experts as “his father on steroids,” and the New York Times described the new Khamenei’s reign as a “show of open defiance to Iran’s attackers.”
Khamenei’s father was killed earlier this month after the U.S. and Israel coordinated more than 100 bombing strikes across the country. The U.S. is believed to be responsible for one bomb that hit an Iranian girls’ school, killing 175 civilians.
Seven U.S. soldiers have died, and more than 150 have been injured in retaliatory strikes conducted by Iran.
Gaetz reacted to the news that Mojtaba Khamenei was taking over for his father on “The Matt Gaetz Show.”
“So, we killed the Ayatollah and things may have gotten worse,” Gaetz said.
In the moments leading up to the bombing campaign, Trump said he had authorized the strikes to create the conditions necessary for the Iranian people to rise up and form their own government.
“For many years, you have asked for America’s help. But you never got it,” Trump said. “No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.”
However, Trump’s decision to coordinate strikes may have backfired, as Gaetz noted that the new Khamenei’s power base lies in “the most hardline military faction in the country.”
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